Diffeomorphism type of six-dimensional cohomogeneity one manifolds (Q2638391)

A cohomogeneity one manifold is a smooth manifold on which a compact Lie group acts smoothly with a one-dimensional orbit space. Cohomogeneity one manifolds are important in the theory of group actions on manifolds as well as in other areas of geometry and in mathematical physics. In this paper, the author gives a diffeomorphism characterization of compact simply connected cohomogeneity one manifolds in dimension \(6\). According to the classification, every such cohomogeneity one manifold is diffeomorphic to a manifold of one of the following types: a compact simply connected six-dimensional symmetric space, the non-trivial \({\mathrm S}^4\) sphere bundle over \({\mathrm S}^2\), a non-trivial \({\mathbb{C}}{\mathbb{P}}^2\) bundle over \({\mathrm S}^2\) with structure group \({\mathrm {SU}}(3)/{\mathbb{Z}}_3\), or an \({\mathrm S}^2\) sphere bundle over \({\mathbb{C}}{\mathbb{P}}^2\) or \({\mathrm S}^2\times {\mathrm S}^2\) whose structure group reduces to \({\mathrm{ SO}}(2)\). Conversely, all such manifolds are cohomogeneity one manifolds. In dimensions \(4\) and lower, it is known which compact simply connected manifolds occur as cohomogeneity one manifolds. In dimension \(5\), a diffeomorphism characterization is known. Compact simply connected cohomogeneity manifolds of dimension \(7\) have been classified, but a diffeomorphism characterization similar to the one in this paper would be much harder in dimension \(7\).